In order to battle against the novel COVID-19, the Indian Railways has made a Post COVID-19 coach with design upgrading to encourage hands-free amenities, copper-coated handrails and latches and plasma air purification for COVID-19 free journey.
The railways said that sustaining the ruthless fight against COVID-19, Kapurthala's Rail Coach Factory has developed a Post COVID coach to fight the pandemic.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal also posted the images of the new coaches on Twitter.
The Railway Ministry while describing the facilities said, for hands-free amenities, the new coaches have foot-operated water tap and soap dispenser, foot-operated lavatory door (outside), foot-operated flush valve, foot-operated latches in lavatory door, outside washbasin with foot-operated water tap and soap dispenser and forearm operated handle on the compartment door.
Similarly, the railways have equipped these coaches with copper-coated handrails and latches as copper degrades the virus on its surface within a few hours. The ministry said that copper has anti-microbial properties. When virus lands on copper, Ion blasts pathogen and destroys the DNA and RNA inside the virus, it said.
Pointing out at the plasma air purification in air-conditioned coaches, the national transporter said that it helps in sterilizing the air and surfaces inside the coach using ionised air to make the coach Covid-19 and particulate matter resistant.
It further said that nanostructured titanium dioxide coating in these coaches will function as photoactive material. This is an eco-friendly water-based coating that kills viruses, bacteria, mould, and fungal growth and most importantly enhances indoor air quality, it said. The railways also said that it is non-toxic and approved by the food testing laboratory of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CE certified.
"TiO2 is considered to be a safe substance and is harmless to humans. This Titanium Di-oxide coating applied on washbasins, lavatory, seats and berths, snack table, glass window, floor, virtually every surface that comes in human contact," it said.
